


In Sickness and In Health

by tinx_r



Category: Riptide (TV)
Genre: Episode Related, Friends With Benefits, M/M, S03E16, Season/Series 03, Smiles We Left Behind, True Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-01
Updated: 2016-08-01
Packaged: 2018-07-28 15:58:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,501
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7647415
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tinx_r/pseuds/tinx_r
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Janet's bad for Cody in so many ways...</p>
            </blockquote>





	In Sickness and In Health

**Author's Note:**

> Immediately post Smiles We Left Behind

"It's okay. It's okay, c'mon, man. Breathe. Yeah?"

Cody forced his eyes open, but it was still dark. Hot thick air, dragging pain right down through his chest into his gut, limbs too heavy, too weak to respond. 

"Easy does it, big guy. I gotcha, it's okay."

Cody rested against Nick's chest, not afraid yet, waiting for his brain to catch up. The buzzing panic of war fluttered somewhere in his throat, but some fragment of memory wouldn't let it catch hold. 

"Just a dream. Can't hurt you now. It's okay, man. It's okay."

 _Just a dream._ Cody blinked, breathed, catapulted himself back into the present. The hot, stuffy, dark present, California midnight in a heatwave, nothing worse. "Nick?"

"Yeah, buddy, I gotcha." Nick shifted against him and the light clicked on. 

Cody blinked against it, still leaning heavily on Nick. The ache in his gut hadn't eased with awareness, and his body still felt weak and unready. "Don' feel so good."

"I know, man. I know. Bad enough what Janet did to you, an' now you got the flu as well. Here, lean on me."

Cody did as he was told thankfully. He was in Nick's bunk, not his own, and a hazy memory of sweating out a fever spike in the early evening told him why. Nick was in bed with him, holding him fast against the chills which had come after.

"Flu or jungle fever?" he muttered, rubbing his head against Nick's shoulder.

"Headache?" Nick stroked his forehead gently. "Go back to sleep, buddy. You got the flu, that's all. I'm right here."

Cody woke next to sunlight, too bright where it crept through the blinds, too hot even though the night's stuffiness was a thing of the past. He groaned and moved away, closer to Nick, who was also a heat source but infinitely more comforting than the sun.

"Easy, pal," Nick murmured as he opened his eyes, waking instantly as he always did, as Cody had known he would. "C'mon, up we go."

Cody groaned again in protest as he found himself hoisted to his unsteady feet, but as Nick shepherded him into the head, he realized the wisdom of the trip. Nick held him up, arm around his waist as they pissed in tandem, then the shower. "Think I can do it," Cody muttered as Nick crowded into the shower box with him.

Nick steadied him then kissed his forehead. "Think you can't," he said, arm across Cody's back, hand against his chest. "Just let me, babe."

Cody found himself drowsing on Nick's shoulder at least three times as Nick quickly soaped him down, and it was all he could do to keep his eyes open as he brushed his teeth. Nick steadied him from behind, taking more than half his weight, arms around his chest.

"Back to bed. Easy does it," Nick advised as Cody put down his toothbrush, and Cody was only too happy to comply. The chills were threatening to return, along with the bone-deep ache that kept him from rest, and all he wanted was to sleep for a month.

He let Nick settle him into the bunk, fluff his pillow, smooth his blankets. Eyes closed, curled up against the threatened chills, he listened to Nick moving around the room -- straightening up, making up the other bunk, bringing glasses of tea and water.

Finally Nick returned to perch on the edge of the bed, one hand gently teasing through Cody's hair. "How you feeling?"

"Rough," Cody muttered. It wasn't entirely true -- the fever was easing now -- but he didn't want Nick to leave him alone.

"Relax, I'm not going anyplace." Nick apparently heard what was in Cody's head anyhow, a trick he'd been working on since the day they'd met. 

Cody allowed himself a smile and turned over. "Thanks."

"Wanna lay on me? Or are you too hot?"

In answer, Cody moved over, snuggling in close as Nick dropped his towel and slipped under the blankets. 

"Drink half this tea, and then you can sleep, buddy." Nick propped him up, leaning back against the wall himself and guiding Cody to lean against his chest. 

"Don't feel like it." Cody made a face, but was unsurprised when Nick picked up the glass anyhow.

"Drink it, swallow this Tylenol, and I promise you'll feel better. Would I lie to you, huh?"

Cody grimaced again, but took the glass without further complaint. His stomach mildly protested the drink, but Nick helped him lay down and rubbed his back until the threatened cramps passed. "Just stay relaxed. You're over the worst, you know?"

Cody knew. He lay beside Nick, keeping his eyes closed, waiting out the flush of heat trying to burn him alive. But Nick was ready with a cool damp towel, cheeks, neck, head and groin, until it passed and the shivers came back.

"You promised I'd feel better," Cody muttered as Nick pulled another blanket over him.

"You do," Nick said with a snort of laughter. "You got a fever, what do you expect?"

Cody opened his eyes and managed a grin. Nick had his number, as always. They had too much experience with this -- Cody'd had malaria in Vietnam, and since then, his body took fever hard. But despite the chills, he had to admit he was feeling better. He moved closer until he could lay his head on Nick's shoulder, slide his leg over Nick's, rest on Nick's chest, and sighed with relief as Nick's arms went around him.

"See? Better." Nick kissed his hair lightly. "Sleep now, babe."

The next time Cody woke up properly, it was late afternoon and he was alone. He sat up slowly and drank the glass of lemonade waiting for him on the nightstand, then leaned back against his pillows. The flu was passing off -- he felt hungry, and although moving had still made him a little dizzy, it was easy to keep his eyes open.

He was contemplating getting up when the stateroom door opened and Nick came in.

"Hey, you're looking better." Nick put a fresh glass of tea on the nightstand. "Feel like some food?"

"Maybe soon." Cody shifted over, making room. 

Nick sat down beside him and a laid a hand on his forehead. "Definitely better."

"I was thinking about getting up."

"Wow, that much better, huh? C'mon then, I'll give you a hand." Nick stood.

Cody scooted forward and slid his legs off the edge of the bed. He wanted to get up, he did, and the empty feeling in his gut was hunger and the hangover from his illness. It was not disappointment that Nick had moved instead of cuddling in, had supported his decision instead of overriding him, making him lay down and stroking his hair.

Cody hesitated on the side of the bunk, aware he was lying to himself, surprised at how badly he wanted Nick's fussing. 

"Here," Nick said, holding out a bathrobe. 

Cody smiled at that and pushed himself up, into the support of Nick's arm across his back, and shamelessly leaned on his friend as Nick helped him into the robe.

"C'mon, tough guy. Easy does it." Nick shepherded him up the stairs, eased him into the corner of the bench seat and hoisted his feet up onto the seat.

"I can sit up," Cody protested halfheartedly, and was rewarded with Nick running back down the stairs, and reappearing with a pillow and blanket.

"Baby steps," Nick said firmly, tucked the pillow behind Cody's back and twitched the blanket over his legs. "Now lemme find you something to eat, okay?"

Cody leaned back against the pillow and smiled at his partner. The fussing had come upstairs with him, and all Cody lacked now was Nick's presence. "Thanks pal. Don't be too long."

Nick's eyes went soft and he gripped Cody's hand. "You know how glad I am you came home, right?"

Cody swallowed hard. "That was a given, buddy."

"Either way. Just… thanks, okay?" Nick let go and disappeared down to the galley, leaving Cody to blink away sudden tears.

Seeing Janet again had blown his mind, teleported him back in time into the aching heart of a twenty-two year old college kid. A kid who'd offer anything to keep his sweetheart, give up his career, his dreams, his world, for her to be his all.

An untenable plan, that -- a plan even Janet had understood to be doomed. But it stood head and shoulders above her counter-offer -- a move to King Harbor, a place for her in his life.

Broken soldier, shattered heart -- he had nothing left for Janet save the elusive memory of a connection that had never been real at all. He'd known it in the afternoon, standing in the shadow of the Golden Gate Bridge. Felt it in the evening, dancing with a stranger. Taken her to bed regardless, because his brain mistook his heart.

At last, faced with the inevitable, he'd let go -- of Janet, and of a poorly-painted, familiar dream. There was no space in him for her, not anymore -- no fairytale, no lady-love. She wasn't coming back -- not Janet, not any of the lookalikes he'd tried to put in her place. 

Nick, so gentle with him that last morning in San Francisco. Trying to stop the hurt, but it wasn't loss laying Cody bare that day.

"C'mere," Cody said, as Nick came up the stairs, carrying two steaming mugs and a bowl of something green. "Wait, jello?"

"You need the sugar." Nick sat down beside him, put the coffee on the table and pushed the jello to Cody. "This goes well, we'll try a milkshake tomorrow."

Cody picked up the bowl, surprised to find his mouth watering. He ate half without pausing, leaned back, then picked up his coffee. "You know what? That was great."

"I know." Nick nudged his shoulder gently. "Think you're up to some TV?"

"Wait a minute. Something I wanna tell you." Cody took refuge in his coffee, feeling Nick's gaze sharpen.

"Yeah? Spill," Nick said with forced casualness. 

Cody wanted to chicken out, but he could feel Nick's wariness, and he knew Janet was the reason. "Something about San Francisco."

"Yeah? You know, that place gets old real fast, for me."

Cody put his coffee down and looked up, at that. He knew he'd done a number on Nick by disappearing with Janet, but Nick had tried his best to keep that fact hidden. "I found some stuff out," he said slowly.

"I know, okay? I get it." Nick's voice tightened, the way it always did when he was upset. "You're not over her. An' that's okay, you don't gotta be, you know? What is it, huh? You wanna give London a shot?"

"London? Wait, Nick, take it easy."

"Yeah, well, I don't want you to rush into anything, you know, especially not with the flu an' all, but a phone call's a good start, right? I mean, you can tell a whole lot by -- "

Cody kicked off his blanket, sat up and grabbed Nick's shoulders. Nick stopped talking, hands automatically coming up to Cody's rib cage, and Cody leaned in, glad of the support. His head was starting to spin already.

"Janet's ancient history," he said carefully. "There's no place for her in my life anymore, Nick. I want you to know that."

Nick caught his breath. "Okay. I hear ya, and let's say I believe you. So now what? No more beach bunnies? You ready to try for the real thing at last?"

"Yeah," Cody said, leaning more heavily on his partner. "Yeah, Nick. I think I am."

"That's great news," Nick said heavily, slowly, and guided Cody back to rest against the seat. He stood up and walked over to the window.

Cody stared after him, puzzled. Nick's shoulders were tight, he looked wound and on edge. "Nick?"

"Joanna, right?" Nick said, without turning around. "She's got class. I can see it. Your mom's gonna be thrilled, huh?"

"Nick!" Cody climbed to his feet, leaning heavily on the table. "I'm not talking about Joanna, big guy. That's not what I figured out."

"No?" Nick turned around, a plastic smile totally failing to disguise the haunted look on his face. "You really ought to sit down before you fall down, you know?"

"And you oughtta let me talk before you jump to conclusions," Cody shot back. Sharp, perhaps, and maybe unjustified, but at this rate Nick was going to talk him out of his confession. 

"Ah, babe…" Nick came back to his side, slid an arm around him, guided him back to the bench seat. "Maybe so, but there's things I can live without hearing, you know? C'mere." Nick sat down beside him and pulled him close. "You got the flu, your head's messed up right now, Janet knocked you for a loop then kicked you to the curb. Just… take some time, okay?"

"You don't get it." Cody reached up and touched Nick's cheek. "We already have the real thing. Right here, you an' me."

"You and me," Nick repeated slowly. "Your head is more messed up right now than I thought, man."

Cody drew back, fear crowding in. "You don't want this? But I thought -- "

" _You_ don't want this. Remember? Cody I'm-not-gay Allen has no problem fooling around with his best friend when there's no better offer. As long as his best friend's not-gay too. Good buddies help each other out, am I right, and there's no strings, no problems? Nothing to talk about."

Cody looked into the turmoil in Nick's face, and acknowledged his friend had a point. "I was an asshole," he said succinctly, and laid a hand on Nick's thigh. "I was scared and trying to keep control, and I didn't know at first that I was hurting you."

"Okay. I'll give you that, and I went along because what the hell. I'm not gay either for the record," Nick said with a wry grin, "but I sure love sucking your cock."

Cody grinned back and reached for Nick again. "Kind of a shame neither of us are gay, huh? Because if we were, we could maybe date or something."

"Go steady, you mean?" Nick supplied, leaning in and claiming a gentle kiss. "Something tells me that comes with strings and problems, babe."

"I think you're wrong," Cody said. "Janet comes with strings and problems. You and me… we just come with love."

Nick kissed Cody again, stood up and helped him to his feet. "Let's go below. Think you're up to testing that theory out?"

"Maybe. You got any more jello? I think I'm gonna be needing that sugar."

"Enough for days and days." Nick grinned and started for the stairs. "Cody Allen, do you really wanna go steady with me, even though I'm a guy?"

Cody grinned back, walking with more certainty now, and less need to lean on his partner. But he stayed just as close. "Nick Ryder, I really do."


End file.
